The semiconductor industry has seen tremendous advances in technology in recent years that have permitted dramatic increases in circuit density and complexity, and equally dramatic decreases in power consumption and package sizes. Present semiconductor technology now permits single-chip microprocessors with many millions of transistors, operating at speeds of hundreds (or even thousands) of MIPS (millions of instructions per second), to be packaged in relatively small, air-cooled semiconductor device packages. As integrated circuit devices, microprocessors and other related components are designed with increased capabilities and increased speed, more input/output or transmission lines are typically needed. In addition, the decreased size of the microprocessor typically results in more closely spaced input/output lines. The emphasis on increased speed and performance requires increased speed for switching on the input/output lines. In addition, little if any cross-talk between the input/output lines is desired. Also, efficient power delivery to a semiconductor is desired.
The description set out herein illustrates the various embodiments of the invention, and such description is not intended to be construed as limiting in any manner.